denmire



H. A. DENMIRE COLLAPSIBLE TIRE CORE May 15, 1923.

Filed April 23, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 My 120M 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. ADENMIRE COLLAPSIBLE TIRE GORE Filed April 23.

May 15, 1923.

PEIUGIZ Wi ma I 4/ Patented May 15, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD A. DENMIRE, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE GENERALTIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GOLLAPSIBLE TIRE CORE.

Application filed April 23, 1920. Serial No. 375,989.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD A. DENMIRE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Collapsible Tire Cores,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is an improvement upon the collapsible core which isdisclosed in my application Serial No. 277 ,476, filed Feb. 17, 1919;and relates to the construction of the core sections, and also to themechanism for moving said core sections from their expanded or operativepositions to the collapsed positions, and vice versa.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is an end view of the core and associatedmechanism when the core sections are expanded to form an annularcore;Fig. 2 is a sectional end view in the plane of line 22 on Fig. 1 whenthe core sections are collapsed; Fig. 3 is a sectional end elevation ofthe core sections 20 and the mechanism for collapsing them showing saidparts in the position they occupy when the core sections are collapsed;Fig. 4c is a side view partly in section of the mechanism when the coresections are collapsed; Fig. 5 is asectional side elevation of themechanism showing the parts in the position they occupy when the coresections are expanded; and ig. 6 is a sectional end. view inthe plane ofline 66 showing the position of the parts when the core sections areexpanded. Fig. 7 is a sectional view in plane of line 7-7 on Fig. 5.

The mechanism includes a shaft 10 on which are two sleeves 25, 35, theformer having a sliding tongue and groove connection with the shaft andthe latter being immovably fixed to the shaft. Each sleeve supports apair of diametrically opposed arc-shaped core sections, and the meansfor operating the same. Fixed to the proximate ends of each of saidsleeves 25, 35, are two diametrically op osed guide bars 26, of whichthe guide bars fixed to sleeve 35 extend in directions at right anglesto the guide bars fixed to the sleeve 25. On each of these guide bars abracket 21 is slidably mounted. The outer ends of these brackets areoffset away from the guide bars on which they are mounted and toward theother guide bars; and each bracket is secrank which takes the form of ahand wheel 27 which is provided with two crank studs 28. A link 22 ispivotally connected to each stud and to one of the core-carryingbrackets 21. When either hand wheel is turned the associated pair ofcore sections will be moved radially toward or away from each other,according to directions by which the hand wheel is turned, said coresections being guided in their movements by the guide bars.

When the core is inthe expanded or 0perative position, the four coresections are circumferentially aligned, and their proximate ends are incontact. The outer surfaces of the engaging ends of the core sectionsare so shaped and disposed that when the core sections are incircumferential alignment to form the annular core, the two coresections 20 may be moved upon their guide bars 26 toward the axis of theshaft without any interference from the core sections 20 Preferably theends of the core sections are so shaped, substantially as shown, thatthe planes in which they meet are parallel with each other and with theradial plane in which points on the core sections 20 move as they passfrom the expanded to the collapsed positions, and vice versa.

To collapse the core, that is to say, to move the parts from theexpanded positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5, to the collapsed positionsshown in Figs. 2 and 4, the operator takes hold of that hand wheel 27which is, mounted on the movable collar 25 and turns it. the resultbeing that the two core sections 20 will be caused to move along theguide bars 26 toward the axis of the shaft. When these core sections 20have been moved entirely from between the core sections 20*, theoperator, still having hold of the same hand wheel 27, will pull it andthe collar 25 toward the stop flange 12 on the end of the shaft 10.Thereby the collapsed core sections 20 will be drawn to one sideof thecore sections 20 so that the Ill travel.

last named sections may now be moved inward toward the shaft. To effectthis resalt the operator takes hold of the other hand wheel 27 and turnsit with the result of causing the core sections 20 to move along theguide bars 26 toward the axis of the shaft, and until they assume thepositions shown in Fig. 2.

The movement of the core sections to the collapsed positions withdrawsthem completely from the tire casing which has been formed upon theexpanded core; and said casing may then be removed from the machine. 111Fig. 2' the position of the tire casing relative to the parts of themechanism which have been described is indicated by dotted lines. Whenthe tire casing has been removed the core may be restored to itsoperative condition, as shown in Fig.1, by moving the described movableparts in the reverse direction and in the reverse order.

Upon the ends of the core sections 20 are projecting tongues 20 whichare parallel with the path in which the core sections On the ends of theother sections 2O are grooves 20 into which the tongues 2O will passasfthe core sections. 20 are being moved out to their expandedvposition. The outer ends of these tongues will come into engagement withthe ends of the grooves 20, and thereby the outward movement of thecores 20 will be stopped when said cores have come into circumferentialalignment with the cores. 20.

Fig. 5 shows in dotted lines a partly finished tire casing upon theexpanded core. It is necessary to apply beads to the outer surfaces ofsaid tire casing near its inner edges. In order to insure the accurateapplication of these beads, to the tire casing, guide ringsdO may beconveniently used with the construction shown. Each guide ring is ofthe. required diameter, and it is secured to a plurality of offset legs41, at the inner ends of which are feet 42 that lit the cylindricalperiphery of the associated hand wheel. Only one guide rin is shown, butit i sto be understood that a guide ring similar to that shown is to beapplied to the other handwheel, to aid in the application of thebead tothe corresponding side of the tire casing. The inclination of the legs41 as shownoffsets the guide ring to one side of they supporting handwheel so that the guide ring may lie very close to the tire casing.

It is to be noted that each hand wheel is formed. with a cylindricalflange 27 whose outer surface is a lateral continuation of thecylindrical, surface of the hand wheel itself. This gives abroad surfacefor the feet 42 0f the head guide rings to en age with, and it also;permits the provision of the internal bead. 2,7, tothisfiange to giveconvenient hand hold for the operative.

Each of the core sections is a hollow sheet metal structure with plugs44: in its ends. The core proper is made of two pressed. metal sidemembers 45, whose edges along the periphery of the core section are insubstantial. contact, and these halves are riveted or otherwise securedto the inserted end plugs 4A. The brackets 21 pass between the inneredges of the pressed metal core members 45, midway between their ends,and are secured to both by rivets or other suitable means.

Having described my invention, l claim 1. in a collapsible core, thecombination of a shaft, a collar thereon having two diametricallyopposed radial guide bars, two core sections, bracket-s fixed to saidcore sections andslidabl-y supported on said guide bars respectively, awheel which is rotatably mounted on said sleeve and has two crank pins,and links which respectively connect said crank pins and core section,brackets.

2. In a collapsible core, the combination of a shaft, a sleeve mountedon said shaft and having a tonguevand groove sliding connectiontherewith, two diametrically opposed radial guide loars fixed to saidsleeve,

two core sections, brackets fixed to said. core sections and slidablysupported on said guide bars, a wheel which is rotatably mounted in anannular groove. upon said sleeve and has two crank pins, and. linkswhich respectively connect said crank pins and core section brackets.

3. In a collapsible core, the combination of a shaft, two sleeves,onefixed to and one movable longitudinally only on said shaft, each sleevehaving a pair of oppositely extended radial guide bars ofwhich the guidebars. fixed to one sleeve are at right angles to the guide bars fixed tothe other sleeve, a core section slidably supported on each guide bar, ahand wheel rotatably mounted on each collar and provided with two crankpins, and links pivotally connected respectively to said crank pins andto the associated core sections.

4. In a collapsible core, the combination of a pair of," diametricallyopposed areshaped core sectionswhich are movable in radial directionstoward and away from each other, a second pair of similar core sectionswhich are similarly movable but in paths at right angles to thepathsinwhich the first named cores move, said core sections being adapted to becircumferentially aligned with their ends. in cont-actto form an annularcore, the; engaging ends of said core sections lying in, two planeswhich, are parallel with each other and with; the path in whichone pairof core secti0ns:move,,said engaging ends of' the core sections. beingformed respectively with rooves: and tongues which slidably fit terei-n,-eaich groovehaving an end with-which. an end of thecorresponding tongue engages when the core sections come intocircumferential alignment.

5. In a collapsible tire core, the combination of two pairs of radiallymovable core sections, mechanisms including a rotatable hand wheel formoving each pair of core sections radially, and a bead guide ringremovably mounted on ahand wheel.

6. In a collapsible tire core, the combination with a shaft, two pairsof core sections, each pair being radially movable in paths at rightangles to the paths in which the other two cores sections move,mechanisms for moving said two pairs of tire sections toward and awayfrom the axis of the shaft, each core section comprising a sheet metalshell and solid end plugs secured in the ends thereof.

7 In a collapsible core, two pairs of radially movable core sectionsadapted when circumferentially aligned to form an annular core eachsection comprising two sheet metal halves, and end plugs which arefitted in and secured to the ends of said sheet metal halves, certain ofsaid end plugs being provided with tongues and the other of said plugsbeing provided with grooves the said tongues and grooves engaging topreserve alignment when the core sections are circumferentially aligned.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

, HAROLD A. DENMIRE.

